The 2020 Château La Mission Haut-Brion received 100 points from Wine Advocate, 99 points from James Suckling, 98 points from Decanter and 96 points from Wine Enthusiast, establishing it as one of the most critically acclaimed La Mission vintages in the estate’s modern history and confirming 2020’s status as one of the great Bordeaux vintages across all appellations. The combination of a warm, concentrated growing season with the exceptional precision and freshness that La Mission’s biodynamic farming and deep gravel terroir consistently deliver produced in 2020 a wine of extraordinary breadth, mineral depth and aromatic complexity that multiple critics described as approaching the legendary expressions of the estate from the 1950s and 1960s. Wine Advocate describes the wine as demonstrating “Cuban cigars, black currants, camphor, spice, tar and smoke” with “length, intensity and layers of mineral-driven, dark red pit fruits” and demands “12-15 years of aging.”

The 2020 Bordeaux vintage produced wines of extraordinary concentration, aromatic richness and structural depth across all the major left-bank appellations, and La Mission Haut-Brion’s response to the vintage’s exceptional conditions was to produce a wine that challenges its own greatest historical benchmarks. The blend of 48.6% Merlot, 43.2% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8.2% Cabernet Franc harvested in two stages (7 September and 29 September) reflects the precision with which the Delmas team managed the 2020 vintage’s challenges and opportunities across the estate’s meticulously farmed plots. A Wine Advocate 100-point score confirms beyond any reasonable doubt that this is a wine of genuine and extraordinary greatness.

The 2020 La Mission Haut-Brion, at a perfect Wine Advocate score alongside two other approved publications at 98-99 points, stands as one of the most significant and historically important acquisitions available from the 2020 Bordeaux vintage. For collectors who follow La Mission Haut-Brion’s development and who seek wines of proven great quality from a vintage of extraordinary character, this is a wine that demands serious consideration.

Deep ruby with an extraordinary nose of Cuban cigar, blackcurrant, camphor, spice, tar, graphite, dark stone mineral and the singular aromatic intensity of La Mission Haut-Brion on its finest vintage form. Full-bodied with a seamless, powerfully structured mouthfeel, extraordinary concentration and a finish of virtually endless length, mineral depth and complexity. Best from 2032 through 2065.

Dark in color, this wine pops with its profile of Cuban cigars, black currants, camphor, spice, tar and smoke. Full-bodied, powerful, long and rich, it builds as it intensifies on your palate. There is length, intensity and layers of mineral-driven, dark red pit fruits. The wine demands 12-15 years of aging. — Wine Advocate